The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-09-23
he GOT THE DROP.
Special Constable Stevenson's Ad-
venture with Belfast Roughs.

Last spring the store Of r. Gilmore & Co.,
in Burnham, was entered by a burglar and
he was arrested in Benton by Geo. S. Steven
son, deputy sheriff, and lodged in Augusta
jail. 1t was decided to transfer him to Waldo
county, where the crime Of burglary was
committed, and accordingly Mr.. Stevenson
transferred him. He brought him through
on the last train Friday night, and not wish
ing to have custody Of the prisoner all night.
as he would have If he stopped in Burnham,
he telegraphed A. w. Fletcher. trial justice,
to come to Belfast ON the train. He did so,
and after the hearing the prisoner was taken
to the Jail. 1t so happened that both Mr..
Wadsworth and his turnkey were attending
an entertainment in Belfast Opera House
and Mr. Stevenson took his prisoner there,
handcuffed to him, searching for the turn
key. The sight was unusual and attracted
the attention Of many, and no doubt Mr..
Stevenson was then "spetted" as an officer.
He finally committed his prisoner and started
with Mr.. Fletcher to hunt up hotel. They
called at one and were turned away, being
told that the house was full. They were
very uncivilly treated and not even directed
to another. They called at another
house and were again turned away
At still another they met the same
treatment, and at another, though the light
was burning in the hallway no amount Of
knocking would induce the landlord to come
TO the door, They had now become rather
desperate and applied to the police to lock
them up for the night. In all the city there
was no place where they could eat or sleep,
and even the cold hospitality OF the county
jail was welcome to them. They finally
went to the Revere House and did get per-
mission to sit in the Office all night During
the night tough had followed them and
about O'Clock In the morning Mr.. Stevenson
was awaked from his sleep in chair by a
rough and brutal invitation TO Get out Of
thisI Looking up he saw that Captain
Fletcher had already obeyed the unceremO-
NOUS invitation Of the tough, who called
himself skinner" and gone out. "Come,
- you, amt you going to git, I'll break ev-
s5y bone 6osis IN y0aS II you don't Sye
Stevenson replied that II was public house
and he saw no reason why he should leave.
With oaths and threats Skinner" stepped
to the desk, drew a revolver and cooking it
thrust Il into his pocket and told Mr. Steven
Constable, | have spotted you and you
leave this room at once" Mr.. Stew
enson slowly retired to the middle Of
the street, still followed by Skin
ner." Mr.. Stevenson thought he had
as much right In the streets as this bum
mer and stood his ground. skinner" now
began to abate his wrath though he informed
Mr.. Stevenson that II he did not leave the
town ne p0uLd raise q mob and murder him.
After .more talk Mr.. 5. went back to the
hotel Office where he stopped the remainder
Of the night, while Capt Fletcher passed the
rest OF the night in quarters not quite as
popular as the Revere House, but quite as
pleasant to him after his severe experience
Capt. Fletcher was subject to further insults
in the morning, when with Mr.. Stevenson he
took the train for home.
The foregoing statesments were obtained
from MeSsrS. Stevenson and Fletcher, the
latter well known and respected citizen of
Burnham, and do not differ materially from
the current street gossip. The rum crowd
tell somewhat different story, but in the
main 1t Is c0nfirmatory Of the above, and
supplies the motive for the Outrageous treat
ment to which these gentlemen were sub
jected.
A Journal representative interviewed
Landlord Lovej0y in relation TO the treat
ment Mr.. Stevenson alleges he received at
the Revere House on Friday night. Mr..
LoveJ0y says Stevenson and Fletcher came
to his house and asked for lodgings, but he
told them his house was full and he could
not accommodate them. Mr.. l.. says
he had engaged every spare room In
the neighborhood, and himself and
wife were obliged TO take lodgings elsewhere
In addition to the boarders the New Orleans
minstrel troupe was there. The men left
but subsequently returned and again asked
II they could not be put up, but Mr.. Love-
joy said: II can do nothing for YOU" Mr..
Stevenson then replied: "Then we'll remain
here" meaning the Office, to which the
landlord made no reply. Mr. Stevenson reg
istered his name and added, ''State Consta-
BILE OF Clinton" When chairs In the Office
became vacant the two men occupied them.
MIR. Loveloy says he did not give his consent
to their remaining in the Office. AT midnight
Mr.. Lovejoy went out and told Mr.. William
Haugh, who was in charge, to lock up the
house. Haugh asked. "What shall do with
the two menr" The landlord replied: II
don't want strangers in the office; il they
don't go out. put them out" Haugh waited
until o'clock. when he told the men they
must go out, and he put Mr. Fletcher out.
Stevenson said he was an officer he had reg
istered, that it was a public hotel, and il he
was put out he would make 1t warm for the
proprietor. Haugh thought the landlord
might get into difficulty and allowed Steven
son to remain in the Office all night, but
Fletcher was refused admission after he was
put out. Haugh says that no revolver was
used, and that next morning he went with
Stevenson to Kn0wlton's saloon, where the
officer called for liquor and would have re-
ceived 1t had not he (Haugh) interfered.
Stevenson displayed a revolver and told
Haugh that he had his hand on II the night
before when he was asked to leave the Of
fee. stevenson also said he had drunk twice
at Knowlton's the evening before.
Mr.. Cox says the men came to the Windsor
and asked for lodgings but were refused, as
his house was fell. He was not present
himself.